Malaysia Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin recently met with a delegation of United States Sports Academy and KH Sports World members to discuss the university’s new program that is training 1,000 of Malaysia’s physical education teachers on the latest techniques and sports science for youth sports.

More than 20 Academy professors who are in the country to teach the Academy’s International Diploma in Physical Education and Scholastic Sports (IDPESS) gathered at the Deputy Prime Minister’s office in the Perdana Putra Building in Putrajaya, Malaysia. IDPESS is being offered by the Ministry of Education’s Teachers Education Division to teachers who have responsibilities for physical education and sport programs in the nation’s schools.

Academy faculty teaching physical education and sports to Malaysian teachers meet with the Malaysia Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin (center) to discuss the university's physical education program and the country's vision for youth sports. Also pictured on the end (far right) are E.E. Hong, Malaysia's Director General of Education, and Dr. Kahir, Deputy Director General of the Malaysia Ministry of Education.

The Malaysia Ministry of Education (MOE) approved the pilot program, which began June 20 and runs through the end of December. The courses are taught in six different regions throughout the country. The Academy’s faculty developed the 10-course diploma program to teach in Malaysia, which was approved by the Malaysian Qualifications Authority (MQA), a national accrediting body.

The Academy’s relationship with Malaysia spans several decades with its first sports education programs beginning in 1981. The Academy also has delivered recently its International Certificate in Sports Management (ICSM) and International Certificate in Sports Coaching (ICSC) programs through the National Sports Institute (ISN) in Malaysia.

The Academy, also known as America’s Sports University, is the largest graduate school of sport education in the world and has delivered programs to more than 65 nations across the globe during its 40-year history.

Academy President and CEO Dr. Thomas P. Rosandich, who first coached track and field in the country when it gained independence in the late 1950s, says he looks forward to Academy instructors helping Malaysia teachers have a positive impact on the country’s sports programs for youth.

“We are retraining them in the area of sport to help build interscholastic sports programs, which are key to the American sports system,” he says. “Having coached there years ago, I know Malaysia has great talent and it should be fun to work with its educators and young people.”